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Physical Therapy

It can be really hard to know what to get someone.
Let alone a child/teen/adult on the Autism spectrum, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD or with Special Needs.

Use this list to find something perfect for your family member, friend or even yourself… and if you don’t find anything, maybe it’ll give you an idea.
Feel free to comment with your own awesome finds below, you might help someone else out! (Add links if you can! 😀 )

1: Weighted Blankets by Maddy’s Closet.
She has more than just blankets… like vests, belts, stuffed animals and lap pads!
Her work is very neat and clean.
She’s an incredibly sweet woman with a very sweet little girl on the spectrum.
Check out her website:http://www.memecloset.bigcartel.com/

2: Therapy Swings by InYard.
They’ve got more than just Therapy Swings too now!
They have “snuggle huggles”, weighted blankets and chewie jewelry!
All three of my boys love our therapy swing. It helps with vestibular senses and helps calm their bodies providing a little hug around them.
Check out their website:https://inyardproducts.com/

4: Children’s Wallet Cards.
Educational, non-toxic and extremely durable plastic card sets for kids.
Numbers, letters, colors, facial expressions, transit and fake money.
I can attest to the fact that theses are very sturdy little cards.
Jaxson is a chewer and LOVES mouthing them.
They’ve held up much longer than any other product similar to them.
They’re bright and vibrant.
They’re cheap considering!
Great for therapists too.
Check out their website:http://www.youguysaresoawesome.com/#home

6: Web ID for those who may wander from If I Need Help.
They’re a non-profit organization that provides Web ID and information for people who may be disoriented or lost when they’re alone or away from their care providers.
They come in patches, shoe tags, ID cards, dog tags, pins, clips and more.
When you buy any of those, you get a free member web ID so that if your child/teen/adult gets lost, the person who finds them will be able to contact you.
Check out their website:https://ifineedhelp.org/

7: Chewies and teethers from Chewigem USA.
Safe, non-toxic chewable jewelry that is designed to discreetly hide a need to chew. Great for oral/sensory seekers who need that input… much better than pens, straws or other things that weren’t designed to be chewed.
They’ve got pendants, tubes, rings, tags, bangles, cups, pillows, shoe laces and more.
Check out their website:https://www.chewigemusa.com/

8: Therapy tools from ARK Therapeutic.
Along with chewies, ARK also makes a lot of tools for speech, feeding, sensory, fine motor, and more. I’ve got a list of things I want to get from them to help Tyler. Specifically their Z-Vibe! But they have spoons, straws, chewie jewelry, cups and more.
Check out their website:http://www.arktherapeutic.com/

9: Soft headphones from Cozyphones.
Super comfy headband headphones for sleep, sports and fun. It’s also washable!! These are the only headphones that Justin will leave on. They have a few different styles, and the speakers on the inside of the headband can be adjusted. Plus the cord, short of getting a pair of scissors out, are virtually indestructible.
Check out their website:https://www.cozyphones.com/

13: Fidget Cube.
High-quality desk toy designed to help you focus. Fidget at work, in class, and at home in style. Fidget Cube has six sides. Each side features something to fidget with: Click. Glide. Flip. Breathe. Roll. Spin.
Buy one here:Fidget Cube

15: NeoBalls.
>Not for children< If they mouth or chew, definitely not for them. I’d say these are more for adults and teens. But I want them, pretty badly! lol
Snap, pull, mold, squeeze, and construct an endless variety of shapes.
Buy them here:NeoBalls – Incredibly Addicting Super Magnets

16: Haircuts with Calming Clipper.
Sometimes practical gifts are the best gifts.
Haircuts can be challenging for someone with sensory sensitivities. Vibration and sound from an electric clipper can be too much to handle. These are a quiet alternative to the electric clipper!
Find them here:http://calmingclipper.com/

24: EZ-PZ placemats.
Silicone placemat + plate/bowls that suction to the surface! Anyone with kids could use one of these.http://ezpzfun.com/
25: Uplifting Autism book from Autistic Not Weird.Chris asked 150 autistic children and teenagers from all over the world one question: “what do you love most about life?”

Their answers are insightful, uplifting, and a beautiful window into the minds of young people who think differently (as well as helping to fight negative autism stereotypes!). This book could be the perfect gift for anyone pessimistic about autism or struggling with a diagnosis, or for anyone who’s interested in knowing how awesome the world is from an autistic perspective.”
Message their page for your copy!https://www.facebook.com/autisticnotweird/

26: Autism Awareness by Autism Awareness Shop.
100% of profits are used to “Put Autism to Work”, their focus is vocational training and gainful employment for those with autism. Find things like car stickers, clothing, pens, jewelry, accessories and more.
Check out their website:https://autismawarenessshop.org/

Or maybe you’re a group of adults who would rather give to a good cause instead of exchanging gifts.

1: The Kreed Foundation.
After their son passed away, Erin started the non-profit foundation to provide children, teens, and adults education and technology to those who don’t have a voice and need one. They’re raising money to help supply families with an AAC device AND help the family, therapists, teachers, etc learn and understand how to use it.
Because of them, my son Justin finally has a voice and is learning how to use it.
Check out their website:http://www.thekreedfoundation.org/

2: Special Books by Special Kids.
He travels the world creating videos with neurodiverse humans in hopes of promoting inclusion and acceptance.
His videos are absolutely amazing. He’s helping people and showing us all that no matter what we look like, what our “diagnosis” is or how we’re portrayed to the rest of the world, we’re really not all that different.
Check out his website:http://www.specialbooksbyspecialkids.org/

Thank you for checking out our #Holiday shopping list!
What did I miss?
What would you add?
What do your or your child/teen have on your wish/want list that you didn’t see here?
Do you have a friend who makes something you think would be a great addition?
Add it in the comments!

I didn’t realize just how hard I’ve worked to get the boys where they are today… the obstacles we’ve face, the countless hours of OT, PT and Speech therapy we’ve done on our own and with therapists to get to where we are today… until I had to start from scratch with Jaxson.

I actually had to REALLY think… what on earth did I start doing with the boys? Because “normal” play for this age is over his head for right now. I had to go back to basics, remember where I started with Justin and Tyler… what games did I make up or toys did I create or do that helped them learn and explore safely?

This whole experience with Jaxson has been a huge eye opener of just how much Justin and Tyler have grown. It’s a little overwhelming… because I know just how much work I’ve got in store with me and Jax.

I’ve still been in kind of denial about Jax… Especially without a formal diagnosis, I didn’t want to be on either side of the fence about him being Autistic. But everyday, I’m being pushed more to one side than the other.

So, instead of trying to get him interested in things that he “should” be interested in at his age, I’m going to start from the beginning… like I did with Justin and Tyler after they regressed and work our way up. I still wanted to hold out hope that he was just a “slow learner”. That him being sick a lot or going through growth spurts (so he needs more sleep) have been slowing him down… but the doctors apt was the real eye opener I needed. The questions she asked about what he COULD do and then the pamphlet of the things to do with your baby at this age… I’ve decided to stop driving myself crazy.

Jax has a form of Autism and that’s okay. We are going to do everything we need to to help him, just like we would if he wasn’t Autistic. We’re just going to do it differently. 🙂
First game “In and Out”. I put all the toys in, and he dumps them out… until he gets to the point where he starts putting them in. Second game will be “Up Up Up Up DOWN”… where I stack the blocks up up up up and he knocks them down. These will help with Small and Gross motor skills, taking turns, action-reaction, sequencing; it teaches him what he should do with the toys, and it also teaches him a few words. 🙂 Those were the boys favorites when they first regressed. 🙂

As of right now, he just wants to chew on them. 😀 lol

We’ll be setting up all his apts to get evaluated this coming week… so this summer should be a busy one! 🙂